Burial vault



Apr. 3, 1923. 1,450,291

H. O. HEACOCK BURIAL VAULT Filed July 15, 1922 war] 7 114 gwuwntozHEP-[EH U-HEEEIBDEK Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITE STATES HARLEY o. HEACOCK, or WInsLoW, INDIANA.

BURIAL VAULT.

Application filed July 15,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLEY O. HEAoooK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Winslow, in the county ofPike and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Burial Vaults, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to burial vaults and has for its object toprovide a vault of this character in which a vacuum may be created todelay decomposition of the body in the vault.

Another object is to provide a vault of this character whereinconnecting seamsand like joints are eliminated to prevent leakage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vault of thischaracter having a relatively large supporting member adapted to receivethe edges of a cover, the cover being secured to the supporting memberat spaced intervals.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in theimproved construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter moreparticularly described, fully claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a burial vault constructed inaccordance with an em bodiment of the invention, portions of the coverand gasket being removed to show the interior of the vault;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation and sectional view showing theposition of the washer on the stud.

Referring to the drawings, 5 designates a flange including sides 6 andends 7. Projecting from the upper portion of each of the sides and endsis an enlarged supporting member or flange 8, the supporting mem bers orflanges of the sides and ends merging at the corners of the flange orreceptacle, the lower surface of the supporting member inclining fromthe edge of said supporting member to the edge of the adjacent wall ofthe flange or receptacle, while the upper surface is disposed in theplane of the upper edge of the flange. By this means, a sup portingmember entirely surrounds the upper edge of the flange. The outer edges9 of the flanges comprising the supporting member are extended upwardlysubstan- 1922 Serial No. 575,236.

tially at right angles'to the upper face of the supporting member and inparallel relation to the sides and ends of the flange, the edges 9cooperating substantially to provide a trough through the cooperation ofthe upper faceof the supporting member. The'upper trough formed by thecooperation of the edges 9 of the supporting member is in tended toreceive the flange 13 of the cover. Projecting from the upper face ofthe supporting member inwardly of the groove 10 is a plurality of spacedthreaded studs 15 adapted to extend throughthe openings 1. 1 in thecover. To insure the air tight con nection of the cover to the vault, agasket 16 is provided, said gasket being made preferably of lead andformed from a single sheet of material. This gasket includes an innerflange 1.7, a curved portion 18 and an outer flange 19. The outer flange19 is intended to engage the inner face of the edge 9 of the supportingmember, while the curved portion 18 is intended to enter the recess 10,the flange 17 being provided with openings for the reception of threadedstuds carried by the supporting member. By this means when the coveris'placed on thevault the gasket will be urged into binding engagementwith the supporting member and. the cover and compressed by nuts carriedby the studs soas to render the vault air tight. I

In order that there may be'no possibility of leakage, washers 20 areprovided, each washer having a compressible collar 21 at its inner edge.The collar is urged arounrfi the threads of the bolt when the washercompressed by the nuts of the bolts. To exclude the air that may bewithin the vault. after the body has been deposited and the coverapplied, the cover is-provided with a valve 22, the port 23 beinginteriorly threaded for the reception of a pump, by means of which theair may be pumped from thevault.

In order to test the vault, the valve may be operated so as to permitair to be pumped in the vault and then a test made to see that noportion of the vault leaks. The pump is then reversed so as to removethe air from the vault, whereupon the valve 22 may be closed, therebyproducing a vacuum within the vault which delays or preventsdecomposition to a large extent, and maintaining the body in its naturalstate indefinitely.

V hat is claimed is:--

A burial vault comprising a receptacle having an endless enlarged endportion at its upper edge adapted to form a supporting member, a flangeextending upwardly from the outer edge portion of the upper face of thesupporting member, said upper faceof the supporting member having alongitudinally extending groove disposed in spaced relation to theflange and the inner edge of the supporting member, an endlesscompressible gasket engaged with the upper face of. the supportingmember, the outer edge of said gasket being extended upwardly at rightangles to the major portion of the gasket to provide a flange, andengaged with the inner face 01 the flange of the supporting member, thatportion of the gasket disposed between the flange thereof and the inneredge portion of the gasket being substantially crimped longitudinally ofthe gasket and extended into the groove of the supporting member, and acover having an enclless rib depending from the lower face thereof andarranged to enter said crimp and firmly engage the gasket, the outeredges of the cover being atflapted to firmly engage the inner face ofthe flange of the gasket.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature.

HARLEY O. HEACUCK

